CatHead’s: Affordable BBQ in SOMA

CatHead’s BBQ, which took over the Big Nate’s spot in San Francisco’s South of Market district early last year, serves solid, affordable barbecue prepared by co-chefs Richard Park and Pamela Schafer. The brisket and sides especially hit the spot with Chowhound user rccola, who says CatHead’s is among the best barbecue in the Bay Area right now.

Meat purists will love that the chefs don’t pre-smother the main dishes in sauce. Inventive side dishes like dandelion green potato salad and habanero slaw won applause from a San Francisco Chronicle reviewer last year; tjinsf says the pimento mac ‘n’ cheese needed more pimento, but confirms that the prices are very reasonable. A main dish is just $7, while two mains and two sides are $18, making this a good budget choice in a city where a boom economy has seen more and more boutique restaurants with prices to match.